DS Daily - 4th July 2012

Home Affairs Committee

Drugs - video| Parliament, UK

Ken Clarke: UK plainly losing war on drugs

He said those working to reduce addiction were "disappointed" by a lack of progress over the last 30 years | BBC, UK

Ken Clarke: Britain plainly losing war on drugs

A Cabinet minister has declared for the first time that Britain is “plainly” losing the war on drugs | Telegraph, UK

Britain is losing war on drugs, says Ken Clarke

Justice secretary says government has no intention of changing law and problem will not be solved by decriminalisation | Guardian, UK

Talented trainee doctor, 19, dies 'of drug overdose'

He had just finished the second year of a medical degree at the University of Bristol when he died | Daily Mail, UK

Ecstasy users taking 'lethal gamble', says coroner

A coroner said ecstasy users were taking a "lethal gamble" after hearing how a woman died after taking a concoction of drugs with her boyfriend | BBC, UK

Sex, drink and drugs: A teenager's life in care

Julie, not her real name, was placed in care at the age of 11, where she remained until she was 18, staying in a combination of foster homes and children's homes. Now 19, she has spoken to Newsnight about her experiences of sexual exploitation | BBC, UK

Can we prevent drug related deaths by training opioid users to recognise and manage overdoses?

Our findings confirm that training of drug users constitutes a valuable resource in the management of opiate overdoses and growth of peer interventions that may not otherwise be recognised or addressed | Harm Reduction Journal

SDF mapping User Involvement activity in Scotland

Scottish Drugs Forum’s Big Lottery-funded National Quality Development is mapping Service User Involvement activity across Scotland - Survey | SDF, UK

NHSBSA Update on Changes to Payments for Oral Liquid Methadone

The DH have recently published further information and a Q&A for contractors on the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website regarding the changes to payments for oral liquid methadone which will take effect from 1 July 2012. Update pertaining to methadone - Full update | SMMGP, UK

Can promotion of lower strength alcohol products help reduce alcohol consumption?

A rapid literature review - via | Alcohol Policy UK

The need to tackle rough sleeping

The issue of homeless ex-servicemen highlights the plight of the vulnerable and the need to tackle rough sleeping | Daily Mail, UK

This cruel welfare system is steadily crushing lives – where is the anger?

No one seems to be concerned that hugely profitable private firms are forcing thousands into borderline destitution | Guardian, UK

Police and Crime Commissioners: Who’s running?

This table summarises what we know so far about who is running, or considering running, in the first elections for Police and Crime Commissioners on 15 November 2012 | Police Foundation, UK

Canada Announces Regional Support to Combat Illicit Drug Trafficking in Washington D.C

Canada is providing an additional $1.5 million in funding to combat transnational organized crime related to illicit drug trafficking in the Americas | Government of Canada

Ottawa smoking ban begins

Smokers could receive $305 ticket | Digital Journal

SAMHSA releases new reports on drug use

The first indicates that youths between the ages of 12 and 17 are far more likely to start using most substances during the summer than during other parts of the year. The second is a report of data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) | SAMHSA, USA

Prescription Painkiller Overdoses: Methadone

Almost one-third of prescription painkiller overdose deaths involve methadone. Six times as many people died of methadone overdoses in 2009 than a decade before. Learn the facts and what you can do to address this problem. CDC Vital Signs report | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA

Numbers Tell of Failure in Drug War

If there is one number that embodies the seemingly intractable challenge imposed by the illegal drug trade on the relationship between the United States and Mexico, it is $177.26. That is the retail price, according to Drug Enforcement Administration data, of one gram of pure cocaine from your typical local pusher. That is 74 percent cheaper than it was 30 years ago | New York Times, USA